The weather doesn't seem to want to give in. It's making it all but impossible to get outside and begin any type of practice for 3D. If the wind isn't whipping, it's raining, snowing or just too cold to get outside and feel comfortable. I'm sure things will change and we'll probably go from winter to summer and never experience a true spring.
My elbow was extremely sore this week, which made it really difficult to shoot my bow. I was only able to shoot about 35 arrows for the week, and 21 of them were shot on Friday night at the club just to make sure my marks were good.
When I got to Southern Duchess & Putnam Sportsmens and got ready to go, my elbow actually felt halfway decent. I'm not sure if it's because I had taped it that morning and put my brace over it, or maybe I was just too bundled up to feel the difference. My shots felt really good at the practice butt, and I figured I would have a good day, even though I hadn't shot at a 3D target since the IBO World Championship last August. The last target I shot at was a javelina at about max distance during the finals. For some reason, that target seems to stay fresh in my mind. I didn't make the best of shots on it, but the end result wasn't too terribly bad.
My first shot this year was a memorable one, too. When I got to the stake, I couldn't believe my eyes, when my first glance told me the bobcat wasn't over 45 yards and, it wasn't under 35 yards. From there, I had to narrow it down, but I knew it wasn't going to be an easy shot. Finally, I decided to set my sight on 39 yards. I was really confident with the number but felt hesitant about holding the pin where it needed to go since the 10-ring was basically right near the top of the target. Any error on my part would send the arrow over the back. Unable to have confidence in my shot, I wobbled around pretty good and made the mistake of not trusting my shot. Instead of just shooting the shot, I had too many thoughts racing in and out of my mind. The evil monkey was bouncing off the sides of my skull. When the shot broke, I knew I was in trouble. The arrow struck the target below the core for a five. The worst part was knowing that I had the right number. My guess was confirmed after the tournament. I had missed the yardage by one yard, but I stood there scratching a five on the scorecard for my first shot of the year. Definitely wasn't how I anticipated the year to start off.
When I got to the second target and spotted a small deer up the hill, I knew the yardage was similar to the target that I had just shot. I barely moved the indicator and figured I would give it a whirl. Once again, the shot wasn't the best, and the arrow landed just below the 8-ring. During the first two shots, I realized the draw length was a little bit too long. I was having a problem with the uphill shots and holding steady. I knew I had to make the best of it, so I plodded along in hopes of learning something. I was once told by a great archer that you don't learn a damn thing on your best days, however, you learn the most on the days that nothing seems to go right. By the end of the day, I saw that statement come full circle.
As the day progressed, my shot began to feel better and better, but I continued having the same problem show up in my aiming. I had a jittery aim that kept diving low and returning to the center. Although it was driving me insane, I kept at it and tried my best to execute good shots.
When the day ended, I was a little irritated, but I was also excited. I know I can beat this change. I know I can come out the other end and be better for making the change. It's just going to take a while to learn my new system and put it into play on a week to week basis. I need to keep plugging and swallow when I get the bad taste in my mouth. It makes it difficult when I'm used to performing at a certain level, and that level seems miles and miles from where I am right now. I did get a glimpse at the old me when the new me began shooting perfect shots. For the last 10 targets, I ended up shooting even, and I felt like I shot even better than the score. I'm looking forward to continuing in that direction the next time I shoot. It does make it extremely difficult to be competitive since my elbow isn't allowing me to practice. I'll make the best of it and keep doing the therapy exercises.
Here's my card. It's not pretty, but my shooting was way better than my score. We must always remember that our score is not always reflective of our shooting. I think if you ask Sean about my shooting, he would tell you that I shot well. Maybe he wouldn't, but it seemed like he didn't see anything that was too bad.
I learned a lot this weekend, and I had a great time shooting. If you're going to use your back while shooting in tough terrain, you better make sure the draw length is in a place where you can control the aim. I'm sure mine is a little bit shorter than where it should technically be, but I'm going to leave it there for now. With all of the changes I've made, I feel that I need to get used to it in this place before I lengthen it any more. I'm really looking forward to the next shoot. Hopefully, my shot stays clean, and I clean up some of the yardage mistakes that I made this weekend.
My shooter profile this week goes to my friend Sean Roberts.
Sean is a lot like me. He's not a natural at archery. He has to grind it out to see any type of success at all. Everyone probably thinks he just has "it," but I know better. I know he's one of the guys who has to put in endless hours to figure things out. He experiments with things, and he listens to other people who he thinks might be able to offer some insight on something he's looking to conquer.
I had the pleasure of shooting with Sean this past weekend. We had a great time, and he probably focused more on helping me than worrying about himself. That's how you know someone is a good friend. He wants me to figure out this new form as much as I want to figure it out for myself. He built me up the entire day, and when he told me stuff, I knew he wasn't just blowing hot air at me. He's not the kind of guy who tells you you're doing something right when you are doing it wrong. That's how I know I must be on the right track, because he kept telling me that I'm getting close. He told me to try twisting up the string a few twists to get the draw length where he thought I needed it due to the way my hold looked from the outside. He said that he had the same issue and the slight change in draw length fixed it. I tried it today, and it seemed to work for the few arrows I was able to shoot.
I've enjoyed my many long conversations with Sean on the phone. We can talk about anything archery, and we understand each other. As Scott Tozier says, "You guys are both angry." We laugh and agree that we are the angry archers............and I'll have something to display that in the coming months, hopefully. Stay tuned on that one. I have something in the works that I'm excited about. Sean got a sneak peek at it this weekend.
I like Sean because he's humble. He lets his bow speak for him. He doesn't feel the need to brag himself up. Instead, he shoots his arrows and accepts where they land. Sometimes they land in the right place and sometimes they are just a hair off base. He takes the good with the bad and tries to grow from there. He's always trying to learn more to make his game better. I oftentimes think that I work really hard at it. I know that Sean puts in the same amount of work. Neither one of us will ever be at the top of any venue by mistake. We will both put in our time and work to achieve the things we achieve. We know that we are responsible for our successes and failures.
If you see Sean on the course this summer make sure you take a minute out of your day to say hello. If you're having any shooting issues or just want to bounce something off from him, I'm sure he would love to give you a hand. Although he and I are angry archers, we both like to talk about our passion with anyone who will listen.
Although I won't be able to shoot much this week, because I'm going to continue to let my elbow rest, I plan on trying to do some rangefinding. Hopefully, the weather cooperates, and I can hone that craft. After my performance on Saturday, I know that I need to work on that if I plan on scoring better in the near future. Until next time ----------------------> shoot straight and remember......it's just a game.
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